Tell Congress To Support State Marijuana Laws

The Marijuana Policy Project is collecting signatures in an effort to support HB 1523, the Support State Marijuana Laws Act of 2013.

This is important for a number of reasons.

It protects you! Currently, anyone in the U.S. in possession of marijuana is subject to the Controlled Substances Act. This means even though you may possess marijuana lawfully under state law, federal law does not allow it and you could be prosecuted. This Act would prevent the federal government from prosecuting someone who is acting in accordance with state law. Cannabis businesses acting under state law and following Colorado Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division regulations are not lawful under federal regulations. Owners, operators, employees and customers are subject to prosecution under federal law, even though the regulated cannabis industry has been lawful in Colorado since 2000. This Act would keep your dispensary owners, operators and employees safe from federal

VIDEO: CNN Covers the Challenges to Colorado’s Legal Cannabis Industry

Today CNN airs an interview with medical cannabis provider Compassionate Pain Management employees, who shared the challenges of working in an industry that's still illegal in the federal government's eyes.

Even though Colorado's cannabis industry has been legal for 13 years, the IRS won't let its businesses deduct employee expenses and FDIC-backed banks won't maintain accounts with legal cannabis businesses.

"There is nothing glamorous about this business. It's a struggle," said owner Shaun Gindi in the May 1, 2013 interview.

"Every single person that works in this industry is all here for one reason and one reason only. It's because marijuana prohibition is immoral and that we have to do something about that," said Nate Lappegaard, facility manager at CPM.

Watch the interview:

 

Be a Part of the Shift: Petition Your City to Allow Recreational Cannabis

Sensible Colorado, in partnership with the Marijuana Policy Project, is asking Colorado residents to join A64 Local Action Teams to petition their towns to allow recreational cannabis sales.

This effort is intended to end the cannabis black market once and for all.

"Ideally, we would want them to lobby their local government official to implement A64 responsibly," said Joshua Kappel, associate director of Sensible Colorado.

A64 Local Action Team members can do as much or as little as they would like in order to lobby their local governments to enact recreational marijuana sales, Kappel said. City, county and town governments are going to face the question of whether or not to allow recreational sales in the coming months. They can allow recreational marijuana sales, stipulate how this would be regulated on the local level, or ban the sale of recreational marijuana.

Watch CNN Today for Marijuana Boom Series Featuring CPM

Throughout today, CNN is airing a story on Compassionate Pain Management, a medical cannabis provider in the greater-Denver area, as part of a week-long series on the "Marijuana Boom."

Jim Spellman of CNN interviewed Shaun Gindi, CPM's owner, Nate Lappegaard, facility manager, and other CPM employees on the current state of the legal cannabis industry and what it means to them.

It's not a glamorous job; they do it because they believe in the benefits of medical cannabis.

Spellman talks about the importance of following the Colorado Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division regulations, how CPM tracks thousands of plants from clone to sale, and the looming presence of contradictory federal law. There's also the IRS regulation that treats legal cannabis businesses unfairly.

"The IRS needs to respect us like any other business," said Gindi. "The IRS is holding us

Colorado Cannabis Business Owner Speaks Out on IRS Discrimination

CNN interview with Compassionate Pain Management to Air Next Week

The Federal government and the IRS need to stop treating the legal cannabis industry like drug dealers, according to a Colorado dispensary owner who will be featured on CNN Monday.

"The IRS needs to respect us like any other business," said Shaun Gindi, owner of Compassionate Pain Management. "The IRS is holding us to a regulation created for black-market dealers, so we're not allowed to write off business expenses, only the cost of goods sold."

Gindi's interview with CNN's Jim Spellman airs days after a new Congressional bill cosponsored by Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) suggested the federal government respect state laws related to cannabis. The proposed bill would force a change to IRS regulation and protect consumers who could potentially face

Lakewood City Council Considers Moratorium on Recreational Marijuana Store Licensing

On Monday the Lakewood city council is scheduled to consider a temporary moratorium on recreational marijuana sales within the city until the state establishes a system of rules governing this emerging industry.

Councilman Adam Paul said the city council is waiting on exact language of a possible moratorium, which is scheduled to be discussed at its Feb. 11 meeting. Details should become available Feb. 8 at the city's web site.

If cities and counties are to allow the sale of recreational marijuana, they must make this decision by Oct. 1. That is where the moratorium would come in -- it would buy the city time to decide whether or not to allow stores and create licensing rules to allow recreational marijuana stores to exist.

Amendment 64 has set into motion a whirlwind of state-led task force meetings, attended

Marijuana stores in Louisville? It’s open for debate.

The Louisville City Council is exploring a moratorium, among other actions, on the sale of recreational marijuana.

The other options, ranging from a ban of recreational marijuana sales to doing nothing at all, were issues that city council members discussed at a Jan. 29 study session.

The council hasn't made any formal decisions. If it is to allow the sale of recreational marijuana, it must make this decision by Oct. 1. That is where the moratorium would come in -- it would buy the city time to put recreational marijuana sales to a vote in a city where 63 percent of voters cast a yes vote on Amendment 64 last fall.

City Clerk Nancy Varra said the issue isn't on the council's agenda in the near future.

Amendment 64 has set into motion a whirlwind of state-led task force meetings, attended by policy

A snapshot of current marijuana regulation in Colorado

So far, voter approval of Amendment 64 has created far more questions than it has answers. We can share with you what we know, but don't substitute this for legal advice. And stay tuned, as these issues are constantly evolving.

Where does Amendment 64 stand today? Amendment 64, dubbed the "Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol" campaign, allows Colorado residents to grow up to six marijuana plants and possess up to one ounce of marijuana for recreational use. A person is no longer required to possess a medical marijuana card to legally possess marijuana -- but the card is needed to purchase marijuana today. Amendment 64 also allows the state, cities and counties to set up rules for the sale of recreational marijuana. Meanwhile, the possession of marijuana is still illegal under Federal law. The system of licensing stores, grows and producers of recreational marijuana has never been established in

CPM owner speaks out for recreational cannabis in Louisville

Louisville City Council considered options for licensing recreational marijuana stores -- or not -- during a Jan. 29 study session.

Compassionate Pain Management owner Shaun Gindi is hopeful that the city will continue to work with the city's two medical marijuana centers.

"We're here, we're doing a good job, we're following the rules," Gindi said.

Read the Denver Post coverage here: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_22477918/louisville-latest-boulder-county-community-wrestle-future-pot

Joints for Japan

100% of the profit of CPM pre-rolleds will be donated to help with relief in Japan. Come in to CPM today and help us with our donation.

Lakewood, Colorado (CNN) – When the earthquake hit Japan, Shaun Gindi knew he wanted to help.

“I couldn’t believe the devastation. I watched everything get wiped away. Their whole lives were gone,” he said. “There was a moment where I started looking at ways to fly over there, ways to somehow get there to help out.”

Gindi knows nothing about search and rescue, so he soon abandoned that plan. But he is an expert in one area: medical marijuana.

He runs two dispensaries in the Denver area called Compassionate Pain Management. They legally sell marijuana to patients who have received a recommendation from a doctor.